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Center Street has a new look after several new pieces of art were installed Friday, followed by an official art installation ceremony at City Hall.
Three pieces went into place Friday -- Hanna Jubran's Midsummer, Bob Doster's July Leaves and Johnathan Bowling's Don -- with Charlie Brouwer's Arriving Home to come in the next few weeks. Bowling worked on Don at the intersection of Center Street and Mulberry Street, drilling holes to secure the three-part sculpture to the ground. Don features sculptures of Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and their donkey, all made with repurposed scrap metal.
"I already had the donkey built, but the rest of it was just my normal process," he said. "Of course, it's all done with found materials."
Once he finished, Bowling joined a group gathered in front of City Hall for the installation ceremony. There, Arts Council of Wayne County director Wendy Walker gave a welcome to the gathered audience.
"Ensuring that the arts are thriving in our community is not just the mission statement of the arts council, but it is the passion project for everyone involved in the selection and placement of public art," she said. "The arts improve the livability of our neighborhoods, increase economic development and connect us all at the very core of our humanity."
After Walker spoke, each member of the Public Art Steering Committee introduced one of the four works of art, along with a short biography of the artist who created it. This was followed by a speech from Mayor Chuck Allen, who praised the yearly rotation of art through downtown.
"We could have bought the art, but what I love about the way we do it is it keeps the conversation going," he said. "I want to keep this conversation fluid down here in downtown, I don't want our downtown to ever get stagnant. So every year, we know this conversation is going to come up, and it's a good conversation."
Allen ended his speech by presenting Bowling and Doster, the two artists still in attendance, with plaques which will sit next to their respective sculptures on Center Street.
Plans to build a new Lidl grocery store along Wayne Memorial Drive in Goldsboro are now on hold.
James Rowe, Goldsboro planning director, recently received notice that the plan to construct a 36,170-square-foot building is delayed, indefinitely.
"We just got a phone call that the project has been put on hold, no reasons or anything," Rowe said. "That doesn't mean they won't do the project, but I'm not 100 percent sure. There's a possibility the project might still be done, but I don't know what time frame."
Will Harwood, Lidl USA spokesman, declined to offer information about the company's plans for Goldsboro.
The German-based discount grocer has so far opened 38 stores this year in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina as part of the company's launch in the United States, Harwood said.
"We are not addressing each individual site at this time," Harwood said.
Company officials will release details about specific stores as they prepare to open, he said.
Site and building plans for the Goldsboro store have been approved by the city, which allows construction to begin at the near 5.5-acre site at 2115 Wayne Memorial Drive. The vacant property is located across the street from Harris Teeter and alongside the Circle K gas station.
Company officials have been planning to submit a revised building plan to the city inspections department. The plans were never delivered, said Allen Anderson Jr. Goldsboro chief building inspector.
"They never gave us the plans," Anderson said. "To me, it just came to a halt."
The company continues to open stores, with several planned this month, including an Oct. 19 opening in Lexington. Area stores are now open in Kinston, Greenville and Wilson.
The company, a rival to fellow German discount grocer Aldi, operates 10,000 stores in 27 countries throughout Europe. Lidl stores offer fresh meats, produce and bakery items, as well as a wide selection of household goods, at discount prices.
I'm not surprised. If their store in Danville is any indication of their other locations, then business isn't nowhere what Lidl thought it would be. I went to the Lidl in Danville earlier this month and it was a ghost town. There weren't hardly any customers there and their selection of food products wasn't as good as Aldi. Another strike against them is their decision to sell tools, clothes, etc. That space could've been used to have a better food selection. Prices on store brands are great, but name brands tend to be a lot more expensive than other stores.
Lidl's strategy to enter the United States and open dozens of stores quickly may be backfiring. If Lidl's problems are deep, plans for additional stores and distribution centers could be delayed or cancelled.
Lidl's strategy to enter the United States and open dozens of stores quickly may be backfiring. If Lidl's problems are deep, plans for additional stores and distribution centers could be delayed or cancelled.
I think you're right. Lidl had already backed out of it's plans to open a store in Eden in Rockingham County and it was already under construction. They just stopped without warning. I don't expect Danville's store to last longer than 5 years, if it even gets that far. I can't help but wonder how well the stores in Wilson and Greenville are doing.
At least Lidl had the courtesy to back out before they broke ground and left Goldsboro with a half-built store. Eden wasn't so fortunate...
The next grocer that enters Goldsboro should be more successful. I project that next grocer to be supermarket Publix.
That'd be great, but I doubt Publix will be coming to Goldsboro anytime soon. Right now, I'd be happy if Aldi came in. Aldi would do great business there. A lot of people currently drive to the Aldi in Wilson.
Also, it seems that we were right about Lidl. Take a look at this article:
The Goldsboro City Council voted 5-2 to enter into a near $500,000 financing agreement for athletic field lights for the future multisport complex.
The city will enter into a five-year lease agreement with Musco Finance to finance $499,000 of the cost to fully install lights at three of the athletic fields at the complex. The loan includes a 3.5 percent interest rate.
The vote was similar to other decisions the council made Monday during its regular meeting and an earlier work session.
Mayor Pro Tem Bevan Foster and Councilman Antonio Williams voted against the financing agreement, as well as other items on the council's consent agenda. The consent agenda, typically approved with one vote, also included the addition of a loading and unloading zone in front of the Waynesborough House, at 104 S. Center St., a parking space at 121 N. Center St., in downtown Goldsboro and street closings associated with the Veterans Parade, on Nov. 11, and annual Thriller Night, on Oct. 27.
Voting in favor of the items were Mayor Chuck Allen, Councilman Bill Broadaway, Councilman Mark Stevens, Councilman David Ham and Councilman Gene Aycock.
During a 5 p.m. work session, the council decided to remove from its consent agenda appointments to its Community Affairs Commission.
Foster said that based on the city's ordinance, the council should be able to consider two applicants for each open seat.
Foster and Williams were also against other proposals Monday, including a new parade and special event application process and a proposal to make downtown Goldsboro a wedding destination.
Foster shared concern about the parade and event application decision resting with the city manager or downtown staff instead of the police chief, as it is now.
"I just don't see a reason for doing this," Foster said. "It just doesn't make sense to put it in the hands of the city manager or in the hands of the DGDC."
Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director, clarified that the applications would not be reviewed by the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. but, instead, downtown staff, if directed by the city manager.
Williams asked Scott Stevens, city manager, why the decision would be shifted to his office.
"What is the reason you wanted to take control of this?" Williams said.
Stevens said the changes are meant to better streamline the application process, which currently requires involvement by several city departments, including planning, administration, downtown development and the police department.
"From my standpoint, it's not taking control of it," Stevens said. "It's trying to make the process better for citizens to come in and get a permit."
The new application would also be less fractured and confusing, he said.
Councilman Mark Stevens agreed that the new application would make the process better.
"It will solidify things and make it easier," Stevens said. "You have to run to three places. Wouldn't that make it easier to go to one place?"
No decision was made on the parade and special event application process, which could be considered at a future council meeting.
Metz also presented to council a new downtown development wedding destination proposal, Say I Do to Downtown. The council voted 5-2 to move forward with allowing weddings in the downtown area, on Saturdays or Sundays, from 4 to 8 p.m. Foster and Williams voted against the proposal.
Williams said he didn't view the weddings as benefiting the downtown area, and Foster questioned why some downtown merchants recently asked city leaders to approve two-hour parking limits to Center Street. The council declined to set limits on parking in early September.
"Just a few months ago, the downtown merchants said they wanted two-hour parking and now they're fine with street closings for four hours on one of the busiest days?" Foster said.
Metz said the Downtown Goldsboro Merchants Association previously asked for two-hour parking to regulate those who overuse parking spaces in the business district.
"We have merchants and we have residents that use that parking as their permanent spot and they take up 20 spaces on any given point of the day," Metz said.
The downtown wedding marketing effort will be developed by city staff and a mock wedding will be held to create marketing materials, Metz said.
"I see this as an opportunity to bring people downtown that may not come downtown," Ham said.
The weddings will lead to the closing of downtown streets, depending on the location. Weddings held at City Hall will cost $500 and include the closing of the northbound lane of Center Street, from Mulberry to Ash Street. Weddings at the downtown fountain will cost $700 and include the closing of the southbound lane of Center Street from Walnut to Mulberry.
A ceremony dedicating a section of the U.S. 70 Goldsboro Bypass as the John H. Kerr III Highway will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3.
Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to attend the ceremony to be held in Courtroom No. 1 in the Wayne County Courthouse.
Kerr's sons, John H. Kerr IV and James Y. Kerr II, will speak.
Wayne County Commissioner Wayne Aycock will speak on behalf of the county.
The 5-mile section of bypass to be dedicated in memory of Kerr stretches from the highway's interchange with Interstate 795 to U.S. 13.
The ceremony was announced Tuesday morning during the commissioners' meeting.
The late Kerr, one of the most powerful members of the state General Assembly, championed improvements to state infrastructure including the bypass and the I-795 designation for a four-lane U.S. 117 between Goldsboro and Wilson.
Gus Tulloss of Rocky Mount, who represents District Four on the state Board of Transportation, made the motion in June to name the section in memory of Kerr.
The DOT Board unanimously approved the motion.
Born in Warrenton, Kerr was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, president of the junior class, treasurer of the student body and president of the Order of the Grail.
After receiving his bachelor's degree, Kerr attended the University of North Carolina Law School, receiving a law degree with honors in 1961.
He was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 1986, serving three terms before being elected to the state Senate, where he served from 1992 until 2008.
In their resolution to the state seeking the designation, commissioners praised Kerr for his dedication on focusing attention on the need to bolster eastern North Carolina's infrastructure -- including the need for improvements for water, sewer, natural gas and roads.
The resolution added that Kerr dedicated his life to his family, Madison Avenue Baptist Church, numerous boards, civic organizations -- causes that touched the lives of the people and communities in North Carolina and especially in eastern North Carolina.
Kerr received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's highest civilian honor, and a plaque of appreciation from the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center for his leadership in providing financial assistance on water and sewer projects for struggling communities across the state.
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